Wonder Woman 2: Resurgence
by Ink Spotz
Summary: Wonder Woman's resurgence in modern times is stealing all the attention away from a woman named Priscilla Rich, unleashing a series of events that Diana's not sure she can control. Especially when she learns Steve Trevor is at the root of everything. (My idea for a sequel to the Wonder Woman movie).
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Steve Trevor had known the risks when he flew the plane up into the air. He was about to save thousands of lives while losing his own in the process. Though it terrified him right to his core, he knew that he had to be a hero. Diana was his motivation. She was willing to do what no one else was. He couldn't let her down. He remembered the tears stinging his eyes, blurring his vision before he swiveled slightly in his seat. His reflection was refracted on the heads of the multitude of gas bombs awaiting to be dropped on their London target. He turned back around, facing the smoky blue night before steeling himself to pull the trigger.

He knew it had worked. He felt the fiery inferno of a thousand gas bombs consume him limb from limb. He felt the plane crumble apart all around him, and the sensation of falling. To him, it felt like an endless fall; a fall that would continue until his body gave up on him. Even when he did hit the rocky shore, his back slamming forcefully onto the rocks, he felt as if he were still falling. His blue eyes, blurred by tears from the pain and the smoke all around him, stared up at the starless night above him. The sky was now a dark midnight blue; shards of the plane falling down around him like twisted confetti.

"Diana..."

Her name passed his bloody lips, wafting up into the night air. His eyelids grew heavy as he felt a tear slip down his cheek. His eyes snapped shut; the night fading.

Here came the death. A death of a hero.

" _Hello, Steven."_

His eyes shot open then; his throat feeling constricted as he lay on the ground. He couldn't breathe.

" _Humans….So dramatic. So weak."_

Ares. That was Ares. Steve turned his gaze gently from side to side, looking out of the corner of his vision for him. All he could see were the fiery remains of the planes surrounding him, and the sheen of dusty orange gas sweeping over the rocks into the water. No Ares. Then where…

The inability to breathe grew worse. He convulsed this time; a choked cry leaving his mouth.

" _You will thank me for this someday, I'm sure. You'll be thankful to be rid of this pathetically weak body. Now it'll be my burden to bare, sadly."_

Burden to bare? Steve was confused by Ares. He was confused by it all, and in an excruciating amount of pain on top of all it. As the pain reached its climax, he felt his breathing stop completely for a moment. He was slightly arching his back off the rocks, now curled onto his side. His scorched cheek was kissing the slicked rocks before everything seemed to become suspended and still. The pain was gone completely. It took him a moment to realize that that was because he was no longer in his body. No, he was staring right at it.

" _What the -"_

His sentence died prematurely as he watched his body sit up as if it didn't sport a multitude of injuries at the moment. He watched his body as a sly smile came onto his face, stretching out his arms before looking at his hands.

"It's going to take some getting used to for sure, but I'll make it work," his body said before it shifted his gaze to look right at him.

" _What's going on? Am I dead? I must be dead, but if I'm dead, why am I…"_

"You're not dead, Steven. Not yet of course. It would be relatively easy to just let you die, but I want you around for this."

That was when it all clicked for Steve. Technically he was dead right now. He was disconnected from his body, and he knew who was now inhabiting it.

He watched as his body rose; the sick smile still on his face. His body brought up a hand, moving the now glowing palm over a bloody cheek to heal it completely.

"Mortal flesh is so weak. Be lucky that a god has decided to bless it."

" _Ares, what did you do to Diana?"_

"Foolish boy, if you should be asking anything, it should be what she has done to me..." Ares shook his head, moving his hand to heal his new body's nearly severed arm. "She saw you become immersed in flame, and lashed out with equal passion. Oh what a fight it was. The gods would be proud...Yes, indeed..."

Ares seemed to be lost in his own musings for a moment as he wandered closer to where Steven seemed to be stuck in suspended animation.

"Her only flaw is you," said Ares as he stood mere feet away, "And that's a flaw I intend on exploiting. She'll see that she was wrong in trying to kill me. You can't kill a god that lives off killing. That's just sad...that's wrong."

" _I won't let you."_

Ares stumbled back then, reaching up a hand to his throat as Steve tried to make a move to reclaim his body. It was a move that was easily swayed though, and soon Ares was standing up straight again. He released a chortle of amusement.

"Yes, I can't dispense of you. I want you to have a front row seat as I destroy Diana; as I make her lose hope in you and mankind all together. I'll give her one more chance to show her she's wrong."

" _You underestimate her."_

"And she overestimates you. How's that for irony?"

He watched as Ares moved to stick a hand up into the air. Lightning soon came funnel down from the dark above, shooting right through his hand. As the light died away, Steve was able to see that Ares was now holding a golden hand mirror in his hands. Before Steve could even try to move, Ares came closer with the mirror. He slapped at Steve as if he were a fly, soon catching him in the mirror.

"Hello. Comfy?"

Steve looked towards Ares'; what felt like a fogged up glass between them. He now had some mobility again, but everything about him felt like it was tightly constrained. He pressed his hands against the fogged glass pounding on it and shouting.

"What's that? I can't hear you."

It was true. In the mirror prison that Steve now found himself, he was completely mute to the outside world.

"You'll probably go mad in the next month or so, I'd figure," said Ares with a nonchalant shrug of the shoulders. "Wonder what you'll be like after a few decades?"

Ares moved a palm over the mirror glass then, temporarily hiding Steve and his pounding from view. Instead Ares was staring at his new Steve Trevor self.

"I think it's time to prepare for a new war," he said before tucking the mirror away.

He turned to walk through the still burning rubble around him; whistling a tune as he did. Soon he was swallowed up by the night; the burning carnage of a hero all that was left in his wake.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Ever since Diana had let her escape death, Dr. Maru had been in hiding. After all, she was one of the prime people that was responsible for creating that chemical catastrophe. If anyone ever found out that she was still alive, she knew that a trial awaited her; a trial and a slew of persecution. She would be seen as an enemy of the people instead of a genius. All she ever wanted was to be recognized for her genius work, but now that she had laid down with the devil, she had to deal with the consequences.

The storm continued to rage outside the ramshackled house she was situated in. She sat hunched over the desk, looking at the wild spread of notes before her. Flames from the fire lit her messy scrawls up, making them look like wild animals of some sort. Surely she was brilliant enough to reconstruct her weapon of mass destruction.

"Come on…" Dr. Maru muttered out loud to herself. She felt tears prick her vision; tears that she swallowed immediately. She wouldn't let this defeat get to her. She was stronger than that. She had always been strong enough to survive what had been thrown her way.

A knock suddenly sounded out at the door. It was a knock that startled her. Maybe it was just the thunder from the storm outside. That was a thought that she allowed herself to be teased with until she heard the knock again. This time it was much louder than before.

She forced herself up from her chair. Her shadow was elongated along the chipped floor beneath her feet as she walked towards the door. She stood in front of the huge oak doors as lightning outside lit the whole room up for a moment. Forcing herself to remain strong, she moved a hand forward to open the door. Her eyes widened when she saw who was standing on the steps, soaking wet. She made a move to shut the door when the person reached out a hand to stop her with a surprisingly strong grip.

"Hello, Dr. Maru," Steve Trevor's voice came to her ears.

She looked at him as a Cheshire cat grin lit up his face. It unsettled her. She watched as Steve's stronghold on the door pushed it in more, causing her to stumble back from the door a bit.

"Do you not remember me?" Steve asked, looking offended. He began to tsk as he stepped into the room, moving to shut the door.

Water still dripped off him as he turned to face her once more. He rubbed his soaking limbs, shivering slightly. His eyes looked over her face for a moment longer before he noticed a fire going in the fireplace by her desk. It was a crude fire since the fireplace seemed to be falling apart, but it was one that Steve certainly wouldn't take for granted. He began to walk towards it as Dr. Maru stared at him.

"You certainly must not remember me. Not that we knew each other well, but…" He chuckled a bit then as he stood in front of the fire. He moved to lean an arm against the fireplace as he looked down into the flames and continued, "Would think you might have known me some. I was certainly a fan of your work. Not everyone has the gift to tear others apart. Not everyone has the gift for destruction."

Dr. Maru felt a shiver race down her spine. She watched Steve stare down at the flames in the fire with a mild smirk before turning to face her fully.

"I used to be known in the flesh as Sir Patrick," he admitted, looking at Dr. Maru as he tilted his head to the side. "But you must have found out what a sham that was, yes?"

Yes. Yes she had. She had seen what had happened that night between Diana and…

"Ares," she said in a half terrified whisper. How could he be here? He was suppose to be dead.

"You look as if you've seen a ghost," he said before chuckling. He moved to take a few steps closer to Dr. Maru. "I've come to strike a bargain with you."

"What can you possibly want with me? You're Ares...You're the god of war…"

She watched Steve closely as he came to stand in front of her. She had no idea where the real Steve Trevor was now, but he certainly wasn't this man standing in front of her with eyes flashing with the thought of bloodshed.

"I want you to work with me…" He said in a whisper. He was now standing mere feet from her. She watched as he reached out a hand to run it gently over her cheek. She immediately recoiled from the gesture; an action to which he chuckled.

"There is no need to be afraid of me," he whispered. "I want you to fight by my side against Diana...I know that you hate her as much as I do. I can see it. I can _sense_ it."

"How could I possibly help you?" Dr. Maru asks.

"By doing what you do best," he replied. "Those chemical weapons will be an asset. _You_ are an asset."

He drew his hand back from her cheek then, letting it fall to his side once more.

"You're afraid to face Diana again, aren't you? You fear that the next time you two meet face-to-face that she will annihilate you."

Dr. Maru didn't realize that was a fear she harbored until Ares said it outright like that. She thought that the only reason she had gone into hiding was to hide from the persecution. Yet, now that Ares mentioned it, she could feel the fear of dying creep up in her. Next time she faced death, it might not be brushed aside as easy. Diana had lost someone she loved. Lost love could make people do things they wouldn't think themselves capable of otherwise.

"If you agree to assist me, I can promise you something that will dash that fear right from that brilliant mind of yours." He paused, moving to walk over to the desk to look over her notes. "I can grant you immortality."

When she didn't respond and instead stood in her place, he turned to face her again.

"I can grant you immortality," he repeated. "You could fight by my side. Forever. Nothing would be able to stop us. You would get the recognition that you deserve. You and I could lead my army together..."

"Army? There are more?"

"There are players yet to be gathered, yes," He responded as he moved to come back to stand in front of her, seemingly satisfied with what he had seen of her notes for now. Once again, as he stood in front of her, he placed a hand on her cheek.

"Join me…" He whispered softly. "Say you will…"

Dr. Maru honestly didn't know what to choose for a moment. There was a small part of her that told her not to give in to such darkness again, but then again she also realized that the only way she'd get the recognition she wanted was to fight back. This seemed like the only viable option at the moment. She found herself nodding her head.

A grin spread over Steve's face. He leaned forward to press a gentle kiss to her temple, whispering in her ear in a low and tantalizing voice, "Welcome to the Resurgence, Dr. Maru."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Steve Trevor stared at the warped glass in front of him. Through it, Steve could see what Ares was doing in his body. He could see the vigorous training Ares was putting his body through, as if he were preparing for some war. Ares really didn't seem to plan on messing around when it came to facing Diana again. Steve wanted to get out of this prison he found himself in, and reclaim his body. His only problem was that he didn't know how to go about doing that.

He had tried a variety of methods to try to escape, but every conceivable method had failed.

The latest method he had tried had left him with a sore knuckle. He looked down at the gnarled purple bruise that seemed to be highlighting his knuckle. He honestly didn't think a non-bodily form of himself could get injured, but he supposed he shouldn't have assumed that being trapped in a prison of Ares' design.

"I just want out," muttered Steve to himself. "I want out before…"

He looked back towards the glass then. He hadn't been able to see much of anything for the last several days for whatever reason, but now he was able to see a partial sliver of what was going on because Ares was, apparently, showing him off like some sort of trophy.

"He's in here," he heard Ares say.

His eyes widened when he saw who he was talking to. No. There just wasn't any possible way. He closed his eyes, taking deep breaths. His death couldn't be in vain. He had tried to be a hero in taking that plane sky high before it killed anyone, and right now, it felt like he died for nothing. He had given Ares the ability to control his body, and now Ares seemed to be in league with the woman that had made the dangerous weapon in the first place.

Steve's self pity soon morphed into rage. Steve felt as if his blood were boiling underneath his skin. Steve hated how Ares was using him for his own personal gain. He knew he needed to prove Ares wrong when it came to him, and especially when it came to Diana. Her care and concern for mortals was not misplaced. It was not a vulnerability that Ares could exploit. He had to do something.

Opening his eyes, he rose to his feet and walked towards the warped glass again. There was always a way to escape every prison. He was a spy. He knew that as truth because he had done so himself on multiple occasions. He just had to figure out the weakness. He placed his hands along the glass, flattening his hands so his palms could run over the surface. He was looking for some source of air; some possible fracture in the surface.

"This place is near impenetrable," he heard a voice say behind him just then.

Steve froze. He slowly retracted his palms from the surface of the glass, and brought his hands down to his side. He had thought that he was alone. Turning slowly to try to find the source of the voice, he noticed a haggard man step out of the shadows. It was a man that he recognized as…

"Sir Patrick?" Steve asked in shock and disbelief.

That remark generated a small, yet sad, smile from Sir Patrick.

"You didn't honestly believe that this," said Sir Patrick gesturing at his own body, "Was Ares' true form, did you?"

Steve should have suspected that he hadn't been the first body that Ares had found a home in. Another round of anger shot through Steve then, coursing through him in a wave. What Sir Patrick was saying made sense, but he supposed he hadn't allowed himself to truly think about things until now.

"It's okay. I had a hard time believing matters for a bit myself," admitted Sir Patrick.

Silence started to linger between them just then, but only for a brief minute or two.

"You said that the place is near impenetrable," said Steve, trying to figure out how to best start the conversation again.

"I was close to finding a way to escape," said Sir Patrick. "Ares let me out enough to play, but...well, there is no escaping now that my form is gone."

"You mean, since your body is…"

"Destroyed?" asked Sir Patrick, trying to helpfully suggest a word. He snickered a bit, shaking his head. "You don't have to treat me as if I were fragile. I may be old, but I can take it."

"I'm sorry," said Steve.

He moved a few feet closer to Sir Patrick, who had now taken a seat on the ground and was looking down.

"Ares used to like to torment me with the life I could no longer have. I had such a promising future, but Ares corrupted it. He turned me into a monster, and I was just left here to have a chance of escaping though. I mean, he probably won't let me out of my cage now that my body is gone. But you…" Sir Patrick looked up at Steve then, locking his eyes on his. "This is what you have to do. When he lets you out, you can't go back to your body. He's too strong. He won't let you in. Trust me. You'll just end up back in here faster than you realize. What you have to do is throw yourself into an object, but you can't let him know…"

"If I'm to throw myself into an object without him knowing...First off," Steve brought a hand up, rubbing it over his forehead, "how am I suppose to put myself in an object without him noticing if he's the one that let me out?"

"Wait for the man to be distracted. Either that or create the distraction yourself. For being a god of war, he certainly isn't very focused at times, especially when it comes to either people he's passionate about or…"

"Or what?" asked Steve.

"Well, romantically attracted to. I've heard him saying he wants heirs before."

"Well, that won't happen with my body. That's just...That's wrong! That's gross!"

Sir Patrick chuckled at Steve's disgust.

"Well then, you just need to do as I say. Try to throw yourself into an object that can be mobile though so that you're able to move about. I can help you along if need be. You just need to take this mirror with you."

"Alright...fine. Fine, I'll try. It's worth a shot. It's not like I have any better option at the moment."

Sir Patrick saw the despair Steve's face then, reaching out a hand to lay it comfortingly on a shoulder.

"Things will be alright. You're a young whipper snapper. You stand a better chance than me."

Steve honestly didn't know how to respond to what Sir Patrick had just said, so he just nodded his head. He had to do this for Diana. He wouldn't let Ares battle her alone. Not without a fighting chance.


End file.
